Stricter bear spray rules could be coming to Vancouver after police raise alarm about its use
In response to concerns raised by police about incidents involving bear spray, Vancouver city council is being asked to tighten restrictions on the item's sale and display – and to impose hefty fines for sellers who break the rules.
A report from city staff recommending a new bylaw is set to be voted on at next Tuesday's meeting.
The recommended changes are to prohibit the sale of bear spray to anyone who is under 19 or who does not provide ID and to require sellers to document every sale. Records of each transaction would include the purchaser's name and details about the ID they presented, and those records would have to be kept for at least a year and produced if requested by a city official. Displays, the report proposes, should be locked or otherwise made inaccessible to the public.
The proposal further recommends a violation ticket of $1,000 be issued for each infraction.
"Regulating the sale of bear spray is a proactive measure to increase public safety and potentially reduce the number of violent offences involving these products in Vancouver, particularly by youth," the report says.
"Staff did not consider an outright ban on the sale of bear spray to ensure adults who require bear spray for its intended usage still have access to it at businesses in Vancouver. The recommendations proposed by staff are aimed at striking a balance between protecting public safety while supporting businesses."
Statistics provided by the Vancouver Police Department detail the number of annual offences reported over the past five years involving the use of bear spray, specifically in cases involving threats, assaults, and robberies.
In 2018, the total was 429 and in 2022 it was 721. The highest number of cases was recorded in 2020, with 730. Cases involving youth have seen annual increases since 2018 – from 52, to 70, to 80, to 100, to 115.
"While possession or sale of bear spray – including to a minor – is not illegal, it becomes a public safety issue and can become a criminal offence when used for purposes other than its intended use," the staff report says.
The report notes that municipal governments in Surrey, Chilliwack and Port Coquitlam have taken measures to regulate the sale and display of bear spray. The report says those measures have been successful in decreasing its use in police-reported crimes, but detailed data is not provided.
Because a municipal bylaw approach to regulation can not prevent people from travelling to neighbouring cities or ordering the product online, the staff report also asks the mayor to write to B.C.'s environment minister to advocate for a province-wide response.
The province could require bear spray to be classified as a "restricted pesticide," which would require vendors to get a license to sell it and to keep records for each sale.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.